In the course of owning an aquarium, most likely during a cleaning, a scratch might occur on the aquarium’s glass or acrylic surface. Depending on how noticeable it is, it might be something you decide to ignore, or something you want to get fixed. Thankfully, most scratches in glass and acrylic are reasonably easy to repair. Editor’s Note: We wanted to know how the professionals do it, so we asked our friend Jon Wolf for some tips. Jon has been an aquarium consultant for over 15 years with Blue Planet Aquarium. If you didn’t know, Blue Planet Aquarium is the Midwest’s premier aquariums company specializing in custom design, maintenance, cleaning and installations. If the scratch is on the inside of the aquarium, you’ll have to take some extra precautions to make sure that you don’t contaminate the aquarium during the buffing process. First, drain some of the water out of the aquarium, giving yourself several inches under the level of the scratch, so you have some room to work with.

Then, place a sheet of plastic foil on top of the water surface, and use some tape to secure the foil to the four sides of the aquarium. This gives you a surface that will catch all the buffing residue and prevent it from ending up inside the aquarium water. To buff out a scratch from glass, first you’ll have to get your hands on a chemical called Cerium Oxide (often used by jewelers). Then, buy a hard rubber disk and a buffing pad extension for a power drill or an oscillation tool. Mix the cerium oxide with water to create a paste, and put a little bit of the mixture on the buffing pad. You can now begin to buff out the scratch, but be sure to keep the drill on its lowest setting. Buff until the scratch is removed to your satisfaction, checking the glass periodically to make sure it isn’t getting too hot. When done with the steps above, carefully wipe down the glass to remove any remainder of cerium oxide and you should be good to go. Acrylic is increasing in popularity as a material for aquariums, because of the many options it provides, such as curved walls, spheres, etc.

Acrylic surfaces are easier to scratch than glass, but also easier to repair. To get scratches out of acrylic you’ll just need some wet/dry sandpaper and a solution called NOVUS(think of it as even finer grit sandpaper, in paste form). For moderate scratches, it’s best to start with around 400 grit sandpaper (remember, always keep the sandpaper wet) and progress to 800, 1000, and 2000 grit.where to buy rimless aquarium After you’re done with the 2000 grit, the surface should feel smooth, but will exhibit some “haze” from the micro-scratches made by the sandpaper.fish tank for sale in burnley From there, use some Novus solution on a towel and buff until the acrylic is as transparent as it was originally.fish tank for sale in portsmouth

As with glass, you have to keep the acrylic surface from getting too hot (acrylic will actually melt under high temperature). You can do this by keeping a small bowl of water and occasionally wiping down the acrylic surface during the sanding process. There you have it. Whether your aquarium is made of glass or acrylic, the above steps will help you get rid of pesky scratches and restore your aquarium to its previous splendor!fish tank light at night Have you tried removing scratches from your aquariums before? fish tank glass keeps going green We would love to hear your own experience and I’m sure the community would appreciate some tips too. buy freshwater shrimp eggsShare it with us in the comments section below.

About Jon WolfJon Wolf has been an aquarium design consultant for over 15 years with Blue Planet Aquarium. Blue Planet Aquarium was born out of one unique belief: that aquariums are beautiful and interesting enough to be more than highlights, and deserve to become integral parts of the places they occupy. Owning an aquarium is a very relaxing and enjoyable hobby. It can provide endless hours of enjoyment to watch. That is until the aquarium glass begins to get dirty. Taking the time to clean aquarium glass can be a pain to endure. Many people avoid owning aquariums because they don’t want the hassle of cleaning it. They imagine hours of work to keep the tank clean and healthy. However, it does not need to be a difficult chore. There are ways to clean aquarium glass that will have you enjoying your aquarium again in no time. ContentsCleaning Aquarium Glass3 Simple Ways to Keep Your Aquarium Glass Clean1. There are two sides to cleaning your aquarium – the outside glass and the inside glass.

Obviously you would clean each very differently. Let’s take a quick look at how to clean the aquarium glass on the outside first. Cleaning the inside of the glass can be just as simple. When you notice the algae building up on the inside of the tank, it is important to get in there and clean it off so that you can continue to enjoy the view of your aquarium. This video can give you more tips on cleaning the outside of your aquarium, as well as mentions cleaning the inside. Cleaning the inside of your tank does not have to be difficult either. There are three simple methods for cleaning the inside that will have you looking at a clean tank in no time. The three methods we are going to look at are the simple sponge method, a magnet cleaner, and an algae scraper. You can choose which method you want to use. To see this method in action, you can watch the following video showing the sponge method being used to clean aquarium glass. Whether you decide to get in deep with a sponge, stay dry with a magnet cleaner, or stick in a scraper, all three methods are easy and effective.